Vacuum and fluid traps for oil wells



Jan. 24, 1956 H. SEWARD VACUUM AND FLUID TRAPS FOR OIL WELLS Filed Oct. 6, 1952 INVENTOR.

Hemazz L. Sewamfl A'ITD R N EYE apparatus for oil wells, and its eludes a standing valve and a vacuum, after the standing 2,731,921 VACUUM AND FLUID TRAPS FOR OIL WELLS Herman L. Seward, Haynesville, La. Application October 6, 1952, Serial No. 313,208 3 Claims. (Cl. 103-229) open position during the pumping operation, by the standing valve, to automatically close, when the latter is removed, so as to trap the fluid within the tubing and retain both surface and underground vacuum, thus saving time consumed and expense incurred in restoring the valve has been replaced.

The standing valve disclosed and illustrated is conventional and it will be understood that other standing valves to which an extension sufiicient to trip the valve may be added may be used.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the character set forth, that is assembled in a single unit, so that it can be readily attached to the tubing.

Another object is to provide a trapping apparatus that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely etflcient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

in describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the apparatus, installed for use and with a strainer attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 2-2 of Figure 1, with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to that shown in Figure 1, showing the lower valve actuating levers with the cup shaped member spaced above the valve operating levers, and the trapping valve closed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the letter A indicates the lower end portion of the well tubing. My apparatus includes a standing valve which is conventional in many respects and is provided with a cylindrical seat member or shoe 1 that is threadedly secured to the lower end of the tubing A, the shoe being provided with a central bore 2 opening at its upper end into a conical seat for the valve element or head 3 which has secured thereto a conventional cage 4 for a ball 5. The ball is provided with a seat member 5 threaded in the bore 7 of the head for the ball to control the bore in the usual manner, it being understood that the bore provides a fluid passage.

Formed on and depending from the head 3 for disposal concentrically with the bore thereof is a tubular stem 8 that extends through the bore or fluid passage of the shoe United States PatentO 2,731,921 Patented Jan. 24, 1956 1 for free movement therein and the stem terminates in an enlarged lower end 9. While the stem is shown as being formed on the head 3, it may be threadedly or otherwise secured thereto.

ber is formed with an annular flange on the lower end thereof for threadedly receiving a strainer 13.

The bore or fluid passage 12 has threaded in the upper end thereof a seat member 14 for a plumb bob type valve member 15 which includes a cylindrical body having a head 16 threadedly secured thereto and the valve member 15 is movably mounted and guided in a cylindrical housing 17, the latter having a closed upper end and is threaded on the seat member 14. The housing is provided with a pair of diametrically arranged fluid ports 18 adjacent its lower end, as well as a pair of opposed slots 19, the latter being arranged longitudinally of the housing above the ports. The valve member 15 is provided with a transverse slot 20 that registers with the slots 19, and pivotally mounted on a pin 21 traversing the slot 20 is a pair of levers 22, which extend through the slots 19, and act to hold the plumb bob valve ofi its seat during the pumping operation, in a manner which will be later described.

Spaced from and surrounding the upper end portion of the housing 17 is an inverted cup member 23 which has its lower edge seated on the levers 22 and the top of the cup member is provided with a central fluid port 24. The stem 8 is secured preferably by welding to the top of the cup member 23 and the fluid passage thereof is in registering relation with the port 24, as shown in Figure 1.

From the above description and disclosure in the drawing, it will be seen that during the pumping operation,

the stem 3 through the cup member 23 bears against the levers for moving the latter against the bottom walls of the slots, the bottom walls acting as fulcrums for the levers which hold the plumb bob valve member off its seat, so that fluid will pass into the chamber provided by the tube section it and thence within the cup member 23, for passage through the standing valve. It will be further obvious that when the standing valve is pulled it will elevate the cup member 23 and upward movement of the cup member will result in releasing the levers with the plumb bob valve member becoming seated, thus trapping the fluid within the tubing and retaining the surface and underground vacuum, until such time as the standing valve is replaced.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a trap for use on the lower end of a standing valve having a cylindrical valve seat and a valve element or head in oil wells, the combination which comprises a tubular stem extended from the valve element through the valve seat and having an inverted cup member on the lower end, a tube depending from said cylindrical seat, a plug having an opening therethrough positioned in the lower end of the tube, said plug having a valve seat in the upper end, a valve member positioned to coact with the valve seat for closing the opening through the plug, a cylindrical housing having vertically disposed fluid ports in the lower part thereof extended upwardly from the valve seat of the plug, said cylindrical housing also having slots in the upper part thereof and levers pivotally mounted in the valve member and positioned to extend through theslots in the upper part of the cylindrical housing whereby extended ends of the levers are posi tioned to be engaged by said inverted cup member wherein;thetinverted cupmemher rests upon the. extended ends and the weightvof the cup;member, valve element and tubularstemH-urgeS the ends of the levers downwardly raising thevalve member above the seat inthe plug opening-the valveand-iwherein the removal of said cup member permits theivalve member to-drop upon thevseat closing theivalve.

2. In a trap for use onwthelower end ot a standing valve having a cylindrical valve seat and a valve element or head: in oilwells, the combination which comprises a tubular stem extendedifrom the valve element through the valve seat and having an inverted cup member on the lower end,,a tube depending from said cylindrical seat, a plug having an opening therethrough positioned inthe lower end of the tube, said plug having a .valve seat inthe .upper end, a valve member positioned to coact with the-valve seat of the plug for closing the opening through theplug said extended upper portion with a slot therethrough, a cylindrical housing having vertically disposed slots therethrough extended upwardly from the valve seat of the plug, and levers pivotally mounted in the valve member and positioned to extend through the slots in the upper part of the cylindrical housing whereby extended ends of the levers are positioned to be engaged by said inverted cup member wherein the inverted cup member rests upon the extended ends and the weight of the cup member, valve element and tubular stem urges the ends of the levers downwardly raising the valve member above the seat in the plug opening the valve and wherein the valve member having an removal of said cup member permits the valve member 4 to drop upon the seat closing the valve.

3. In a trap for use on the lower end of a standing valve having a'cylindricalvalve seat anda 'valve element or head in oil wells, the combination which comprises a tubular stem extended from the valve element through the valve seat and having an inverted cup member on the lower end, a tube depending from said cylindrical seat, a plug having an opening therethrough positioned in the lower end of the-tube, said plug having a valve seat in the upper end, a valve member positioned to conct with the valve seat of the plug for closing the opening through the plug, said valve member having an extended upper portion with a slot therethrough, a cylindrical housing having vertically disposed fluid ports and slots therethrough extendediupwardly from the valve seat of the plug, levers pivotally mounted in the valve member and positioned to extend through the slots in the upper part of the cylindrical housing whereby extended ends of the levers are positioned to be engaged by said inverted cupmember wherein theinverted cup member rests upon the extended ends and the weight of the cup member, valve element and tubular stem urges the ends of the levers downwardly'raising the valve member above the. seatin the plug opening the valve and wherein the removal of said cup member permits the valve member to drop upon the seat closing the valve, and a perforated conical-shaped member extended downwardly from said plug providing a screen.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Aug. 8, 1950 2, 5 18,299 Fernandez 

